Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Tied To More Salmonella Cases

Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal has been pegged as the cause behind illnesses affecting another 30 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A multi-state salmonella outbreak linked to the cereal has made more 130 people ill in 36 states since it was announced earlier this summer.

An additional 34 people have been hospitalized after eating the cereal and no deaths have been reported, according to CBS News. The number of cases has grown since the recall was first announced in June when 73 people became ill.

On Tuesday, the CDC advised against consuming the cereal.

“Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal linked to 130 Salmonella infections in 36 states. The cereal was recalled and could make you sick if you eat it. Check your pantry for it and do not eat it,” the agency wrote in the tweet.

In a statement posted to its website, the CDC added that the advice applies to Honey Smacks in any size package and with any expiration date. The agency also asks consumers to report if they see the product being sold at any store.

All boxes of the cereal having been recalled, which means they should have been taken off store shelves. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that the cereal is still being sold in some locations, according to the CBS News report.

The latest bout of hospitalizations was reported across 19 states, three of which had not been on the CDC’s previous update: Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota, according to CNBC.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Eating cereal contaminated with salmonella can cause serious illness, including fatal infections, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, according to the CDC. Symptoms usually appear within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated food.

Healthy individuals typically recover in four to seven days with treatment, but symptoms can linger and become serious, especially in young children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems.

Each year, salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the U.S., CBS News reported, citing the CDC.

Because the cereal has a shelf life of one year, it could still be in many people’s homes. That’s why the CDC recommends that people check their pantry at home to see if there is any Kellogg’s Honey Snacks cereal that could end up in children’s bowls. You can throw out the product or return it to the store for a refund — even if some of it was already eaten and no one got sick, CBS News reported.